How To Overcome The Fear Of Falling Behind In Life

June 1, 2017

A lot of people – especially in their early twenties – suffer from the fear of falling behind in life. We want to achieve so many things, but sometimes it seems that time is going too fast. Yet, others around us seem to be perfectly on track, so we wonder if we are doing something wrong. Here’s what helps me tackle this feeling:

1. Set priorities

We have to accept that no matter how badly we wish we could, we simply cannot control time. Time does go quickly at times, which means that we sometimes do not have time for everything we want to do. Having too much on our plate can make us feel like we are falling behind. That’s why we have to set priorities and focus only on what is most important to us.

In order to do this we have to know our limits and not be afraid to say “no” when it all becomes too much. When you have less on your mind, you have less to worry about and therefore are not so easily overwhelmed. Remember that your health and well-being are what counts and those who matter will understand that. If you want to overcome the fear of falling behind, setting priorities is a crucial step.

2. Focus on your own journey

A question we have to ask ourselves is: Who says this is where we should be? Just because you are not where you wish to be right now (or think you should be right now), doesn’t mean that you are not on the right track. I came across a great quote on LinkedIn the other day:

Everyone is running in their own time. So, relax. We are not late, we are not early. We are very much on time in our time zone.

Harshal Borole

There isn’t a life manual that says you have to be this or do this at this age – everyone is simply following their own journey. You are not falling behind, you are right on time in your own time zone. This is why you should not let the expectations of others disrupt your journey. This is your life and your story.

3. Compare only in a healthy manner

Another thing to remember is that the feeling of falling behind ultimately starts with comparison. We look at others and feel like we are simply not as advanced in life as they are. However, instead of getting upset by other people’s successes, we should let it inspire us. Use their success as fuel to become an even better version of yourself. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t be where they are one day.

The bottom line

Although, we would all love to have our life in order every moment of every day, that is simply not how life works. Sometimes life just happens to us and that’s why we have to learn how to adjust our sails to any type of wind speed. Success takes time. We need to be patient and not lose hope if things do not immediately go our way. Trust your journey and don’t forget to enjoy the good moments on the way. 🙂

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Femme Friendly is a female-friendly website with inspiring posts and tips for women. With a passion for mindfulness, goal setting and personal development, the founder created the website in 2016 in order to reach out to women all over the world and motivate them to be the best version of themselves.